Parcel and package elevator or carrier



1. COLLINS. PARCEL AND PACKAGE ELEVATOR 0R CAR RIER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY'I, 1921- I Patented July 11, 1922.

ATTORNEYS.

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JAMES COLLINS, OF LANCASTER, EENNSYLVANIA.

PARCEL AND PACKAGE ELEVATOR OR CARRIER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James CoLLINs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Lancaster, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Parcel and Package Elevator or Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a novel construction of a parcel and package elevator or carrier wherein I provide a plurality of baskets having preferably solid metallic backs, the remainder of each basket being preferably composed of metal or of galvanized iron, mesh, or wire, and provision be ing made for rigidly supporting each basket by a bar secured to a plurality of endless aprons or sprocket chains, which are in mesh with a plurality of cog wheels or sprocket wheels, one set of said sprocket wheels being driven by an electric motor or the like, and the sprocket wheels and their adjuncts being supported upon a suitable rigid metallic frame-work within which the sprocket chains or their equivalents which are of different widths and of the form of an endless apron, travel, provision being made for constructing said supporting frame-work of U-bars or channel bars which can be readily assembled and bolted together, whereby a' very rigid and durable structure is produced.

My invention further consists of a novel manner of constructing thebaskets composing the package and parcel carriers and se curing them to the sprocket chains, whereby said baskets will be rigidly and effectively supported and are readily accessible at their to and bottom portions.

lily invention further consists of a novel manner of constructing the supporting frame-work in which the various driving and supporting wheels, shafts and their adjuncts are mounted.

It further consists of a novel manner of arranging, actuating and supporting the plurality of endless aprons employed.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven tion I have shown in the accompanying drawings a form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since it will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results,

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented July 11, 11922. 1921. Serial No. 481,806.

although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and or-- ganization of these instrumentalities as here in shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a package and parcel elevator or carrier embodying my invention, certain of the parts being omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration.

Figure 2 represents on an enlarged scale a side elevation, partly in section, showing the preferred construction of a basket and the manner of securing the same to the sprocket chains or endless aprons employed.

Figure 3 represents a section on line 33 Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a section on line 4- Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a section on line 55 Figure 3.

Figure 6 represent-s a front elevation, partly in section, of a portion of one of the sprocket chains or endless aprons employed.

Figure 7 represents a section on line 77 F i ure 2.

igure 8 represents a section on line 8-8 Figure 6.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings.

1 designates my novel construction of package and parcel'clevator or carrier, the same comprising a suitable frame-work composed of the sides 2, the top portion 3, and the bottom portion 4. In constructing said frame-work, I preferably'employ the con-- struction seen in Figures 3 and 4, wherein the outer portions of said framework are composed of the angle irons 5, having the angular members 6 and 7. a

To the member 7 is bolted the base member 8 of the U-shaped beam provided with the outer side or wall 9 and the inner side 10, the member 8 constituting the base of the U-beam and being bolted or otherwise secured to the member 7, as will be understood from Figure 3. It will be seen from Figure 3 that a pair of the channelled or the U-beam structures are employed each having their walls 9 and 10 juxtaposed to each other, the construction being such that a continuous opening is formed at 11, through which projects the inner end of the basket supporting bars 12, which are preferably square in cross-section, as seen in Figure 7. i

The outer end of each of said bars preferably has a T-head 13, which engages the inner surface of the solid steel or metallic back 14 of each of the baskets 15, while the inner end of said bar 12 is threaded and passes through and is held by a nut in engagement with the outer wide sprocket chain 16 and the inner narrower sprocket chain 17. Each of the baskets 15 is preferably composed of the steel or metal back 14 above referred to, while the sides 18 and front 19 of each basket are preferably composed of wire mesh or galvanized iron wire.

Each basket 15 is provided with an upper lid or cover 20 and a lower lid or cover 21, which are provided with suitable latching devices as 22, in order to retain the parts 20 and 21 in closed position, as will be understood from Figure 2.

The outer and inner sprocket chains 16 and 17 are preferably constructed substantially alike, each being of the form of an endless apron composed of links as 23 and 24, which areprovided with lugs 25 and 26 respectively, through which pass the rods, pins or bolts 27, as will be understood from Figures 6 and 8, each of said links being provided with the lugs 28 which engage the sprocket wheels 29 which are fast on the driving shaft 30, which latter is mounted in suitable hangers or bearings 31 and is driven by an electric motor 32 of any suitable or conventional type.

The inner chain 17 is constructed in the same manner as the outer chain 16 already described in Figures 6 and 8, and is provided with lugs which mesh with the small lower idler sprocket wheels 33, which are loose on the shaft 30.

As will be understood from Figure 1, I employ at the lower portion of the apparatus, the driving shaft 30 already referred to, and the oppositely located fixed or non-rotatable shaft 34, while at the upper portion of the apparatus I employ the two'upper fixed or non-rotatable shaft 34, which are supported in the hangers 36, which depends from or are secured tothe top 3 of the frame in a suitable manner.

By the provision of the two outer sprocket wheels 29, which are fast to the driving shaft 30, it will be apparent that the power is evenly and smoothly applied to the outer sprocket chain 16 and the inner sprocket chain 17 which is in gear with the small idler sprocket wheels 33, affords a double supporting means for the bar 12. The lower right hand shaft 34, seen in Figure 1, and the two upper shaft-s 35, are fixed-or non-rotatable, and are each provided with the small idlers 33 and the large wheels 38, which are also idlers, as will be understood from Figure 4.

The top 3 of the frame is supported from the building in any suitable manner, as by brackets 37, best seen in Figure 4. It will thus be seen from the foregoing that I provide a very rigid and efficient supporting structure by means of the framework composed of the duplicate members 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

It will also be seen that the lower shaft 34 and the upper shafts 35 preferably have their ends square and interlocked with their supports so that they are very rigidly and effectively sup-ported and braced, and that furthermore each of the baskets 15 is very rigidly supported with respect to the outer wide chain 16 and the inner narrower chain 17 byreason of the bar 12, whose inner end may be screw-threaded and have a nut thereon, as will be understood from Figure 3. The inner flanges 10 of the U-beam structure as will be understood from Figure 3, are slotted at the proper points to permit the sprocket wheels 29 and 33 to pass therethrough, and it will be evident that by the employment of the juxtaposed U-beams composed of the members 8, 9 and 10, a cheap, rigid and durable inclosing structure is provided for the reception of the two inner and outer sprocket chains 16 and 17.

It will be understood that while I have in Figure 1 shown my device as adapted to two floors or to a two-story building, the same is equally adapted to a building of any height and that there will be a controlling device or switch on all floors to start or stop the motor 32, and as the same can be of any con ventional type,I have deemed it unnecessary to show or describe the same in greater detail. I

\Vhile I have shown the preferred form of baskets 15 in Figure 2, it will be apparent that the basket may be made if desired of closed sheet rolled iron, and it will be evident to those skilled in the art that by my device I can give quick parcel or package transmission service to and fromall floors of the building in which my novel device is installed.

While I have shown the preferred construction of the sprocket chains or endless aprons 16 and 17, in Figures 6 and 8, it will be apparent that other forms of sprocket chains or sprocket wheels may be employed, if desired, and that the outer wider chain 16 and the inner narrower chain 17 functions as endless aprons to effect the simultaneous progression of the baskets or their equivalents, during the period the motor 32 is in operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. In a device of the character stated, a lower driving shaft, outer sprocket wheels fast thereon, inner idler sprocket wheels loose on said shaft, an outer endless apron driven by said outer sprocket wheels, an inner endless apron in mesh with said idler sprocket wheels upper sprocket wheels for said aprons, bars secured at intervals to one of said endless aprons, and baskets secured to said bars.

2. In a device of the character stated, a lower driving shaft, large sprocket wheels fast thereon, a wide outer endless apron in mesh with said large sprocket wheels, smaller idler sprocket wheels loose on said shaft, a narrower endless apron in mesh with said idle sprocket wheels upper sprocket wheels for said aprons, bars secured to each of said endless aprons, and baskets secured to said bars.

3. In a device of the character stated, a lower driving shaft, large sprocket Wheels fast thereon, a wide outer endless apron in mesh with said large sprocket wheels, smaller idler sprocket wheels loose on said shaft, a narrower endless apron in mesh with said idle sprocket wheels, bars secured to each of said endless aprons, and baskets secured to said bars, in combination with another lower fixed shaft and upper fixed shafts, and idle sprocket wheels mounted on said last three shafts and in mesh with said aprons.

4. In a device of the character stated, an outer and inner sprocket chain, a basket having a solid metallic back, a bar secured thereto and having its outer end provided with a flange engaging the inner surface of said back and its inner end engaging said outer and inner sprocket chains, a driving shaft, loose sprocket wheels thereon engaging said inner chain and sprocket wheels of larger diameter fast on said shaft and in engagement with the outer sprocket chain.

5. In a device of the character stated, a framework having its outer portion composed of angle irons and its inner portion composed of U-beams, sprocket chains contained within the walls of said U-beams, upper and lower shafts, sprocket wheels on said shafts, one of said lower shafts serving as a driving shaft, and baskets connected to said sprocket chains.

6. In a device of the character stated, a plurality of sprocket chains, a lower driving shaft, a pair of outer sprocket wheels fast on said driving shaft, a pair of inner sprocket wheels of smaller diameter loose on said driving shaft, said chains being in engagement with said fast and loose sprocket wheels upper sprocket wheels for said chains, and baskets secured at intervals to said chains and actuated thereby.

'7. In a device of the character stated, an-

outer and inner sprocket chain, a basket having a solid metallic back, a bar secured thereto and having its outer end provided with a flange engaging the inner surface of said back and its inner end engaging said outer and inner sprocket chains, a driving shaft, loose sprocket wheels thereon engaging said inner chain and sprocket wheels of larger diameter fast on said shaft and in engagement with the outer sprocket chain, in combination with a frame work having its outer portion composed of angle irons and its inner portion composed of U-beams, said chains travelling in the channels of said U-beams.

8. In a device of the character stated, a lower shaft, outer sprocket wheels fast thereon, inner idler sprocket wheels of lesser diameter than said outer wheels also mounted on said shaft, upper shafts, pairs of small and larger idler sprocket wheels on said upper shaft, inner and outer endless aprons in engagement with said small and larger sprocket wheels respectively, and package carriers secured to and actuated by said aprons.

9. In a device of the character stated, a framework composed of U-beams having their inner walls juxtaposed to and facing each other, inner and outer endless aprons positioned within said walls, upper and lower shafts, large and small sprocket wheels mounted on said shafts and engaging said aprons, said small wheels and said upper large wheels being idlers, means for actuating one of said shafts, and baskets secured to and actuated by said aprons.

JAMES COLLINS. lVitnesses JOHN A. VVIEDERsHEIM, N. BUSSINGER. 

